About Me

Manu Sharma New Delhi / Gurgaon, India

Since mid 2006 I have grappled with climate change and what it means for us. As an activist and campaigner, I sought to learn and simultaneously, attempted to influence the issues surrounding it - in technology and policy advocacy. As a consultant, I studied markets and created portfolios in sustainability services and renewable energy investment.

After thousands of hours of research, tenacious activism, working up-close with NGOs as well as the industry, delivering about two dozen public talks, countless conferences, hundreds of online discussions, a few media appearances (including Reuters, News Television, and BBC radio), and continuous evolution of my own ideas about what ought to be done - I may have found some answers but the issue remains far from being addressed.

In the despair filled world of climate change the only place I've found real and lasting hope is in a beautiful vision inspired by "The Ringing Cedars of Russia" book series by Vladimir Megre. The books have triggered a transition movement in Russia and have profoundly influenced me. I am now working towards the vision.

Climate Revolution Initiative, an RTI campaign I founded and ran for a few years is now retired. I no longer deliver talks. I still consider myself an activist though and occasionally post on Green-India group started over nine years ago.

Older entries in this blog relate to my former occupation in user experience design; long time interest in business innovation, strategy, ethics; and venture creation.

Image on top of this bar is courtesy book covers of The Ringing Cedars series published under Croatian translation. (Source)

I can't speculate on the reasons why Mark was fired. But two things seem certain to me. One, Mark's a nice, well meaning, intelligent guy (he has to be!) who displayed poor judgement in bad mouthing about Google when actually he liked his job. Second, I can imagine how his co-workers would have rallied against him inside the company for showing Google in such poor light publicly when they all loved it so much. I even hinted at such a possibility before Mark was fired.

If I managed a tech firm in Silicon Valley, I'd have offered Mark a job as soon as I heard the news. Why? An ex-Googler is out of job, does anyone need a better reason? That doesn't happen everyday as Google has remarkably low attrition rates. There is no greater accomplishment for a tech worker in the Silicon Valley today than to be hired by Google.

It's well known that they have an extraordinarily tough recruiting process at Googleplex and they go to great lengths to attract the best talent. Google has contacts in all the major universities in the US, both, to spot emerging technologies and emerging talent before anyone else does. They make regular visits to universities as well, they hold contests, crazy banner ads, publicise the fun and meaningful working at Google -- all so that they maximize their chances of hiring the best people.

As someone said in the Analyst day webcast, Google is even willing to compromise their expansion plans because they can't hire enough people of the exceptional quality they seek. That shows the kind of commitment they have to hiring. I'd be crazy to let go of this opportunity. The kid made a mistake and he's learnt.

ps: I photoshopped that image from two different images taken by Dennis Cheung, another MS blogger present at the meeting.